What would we do without google? Google has definitely changed the way we obtain information. It’s fast and efficient. Anything we need to know is right at our fingertips whenever we need it. It’s an incredible tool, but does it replace teachers? Does it replace quality learning? Over the past 10 years I’ve overheard and been a part of some alarming conversations with teachers and administrators in government schools. In a conversation with one teacher, the actual words out of her mouth were, “Why do the kids need to learn it if they have Google?” This was a both shocking and frightening moment for me. Just recently another horrifying moment occurred when an administrator told a teacher not to have kids waste time in class learning facts because they can always google them. In many government schools, teachers are encouraged to learn along with the students and act as a facilitator. Expertise is no longer valued. It’s common in these classrooms for students to spend time researching, but with no expert on the topic to guide them. For some this is fine. It’s good enough and that’s ok. However, many of us still value and understand the importance of learning historical and scientific facts starting from a young age. We value having young children take on complicated pieces of literature that require an expert leader to help guide them. We appreciate the importance of learning how to take quality notes. And finally there are still parents and educators who value building a foundational knowledge base that requires students to commit facts to memory or as I like to say, learn them by heart. Is it possible to let Google take over completely? According to many, the answer is yes. This is the passive, easy-way-out style of teaching and learning that is becoming ever more prominent in government schools. So where can a family find an alternative to the Google take-over? Do such schools exist anymore? The answer is yes! Bright Minds Academy in Newburgh is a completely private, independent school serving students in grades 1-8.